The Asians participating in the study did not have long-term pigmentation problems that often occur for their skin types with traditional resurfacing methods, he said.

As a result, they had reduced wrinkles and improved complexion similar to the whites, he said. McCurdy reported his findings at a recent meeting of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in New York and elaborated on the study in an interview.

He said he had two goals:

First, to determine if Coblation would be a safe and effective treatment for Asian skin, "given the fact that it is much more reactive and many surgeons are reluctant to use any type of skin resurfacing in this population."

Second, to compare the rate of healing between Asian and